Kiera Murphy Highlights Federal Bar Committee’s Police Liability Programs

Business litigation associate Kiera Murphy coauthored an article with attorney Katherine Earle Yanes for the FBA’s magazine The Federal Lawyer, titled “Reflecting on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s Police Liability Programs,” which recaps the committee’s program regarding the ongoing national conversation around law enforcement training and liability. The program, which was held in July 2020, was organized by Murphy and others.

In the article, the authors highlight insights from the program’s first panel, featuring professionals well versed in police training and prosecution, which covered law enforcement’s use-of-force training, the legal process surrounding law enforcement prosecutions, strategies for combatting racial bias in law enforcement prosecutions and solutions to increase law enforcement accountability.

Murphy and Yanes also summarize the discussion of the program’s second panel, led by defense attorneys experienced in representing officers against criminal and civil liability, which addressed the unique facets of cases against law enforcement officers, the doctrine of qualified immunity, and systemic issues such as how the training an officer received can affect liability.